This is a great doll form, and it is so much fun to get creative with the faces. I shaded her face with PrismaColor colored pencils dipped in water and applied very lightly. I'm dreadful with a paintbrush; the pencil gives better control, and mixed with water gives a nice wash effect.
I made her arms and legs slightly wider (the legs are actually the pattern for the male Fairies). I wrapped a pipecleaner with a thin layer of stuffing, and sewed up the limbs encasing the pipecleaner. This gives her arms and legs a nice degree of pose-ability.
Fiona's books are wonderful instruction and inspiration for any dollmaker; enjoy!
oh she's lovely makes me wish I can knit
ReplyDeleteit's really amazing how cute the doll is
ReplyDeletecongratulation for your work
looks very lovely
and cute eyes
have a nice day
I love her:)
ReplyDeleteShe is beautiful. I wish I knew how to knit.
ReplyDeleteShe looks great!
ReplyDeleteLove the elf and the colours you chose love her hair, is she having a bad hair day. L.O.L.
ReplyDeleteThat is just gorgeous! I love Fiona's books but I haven't attempted any of the fairies yet... I've only made babes so far. I really must give this a try.
ReplyDeleteI LOOOOOOVE Flyt! (And to Typstatting - she has MY hair! Wild & free at that length. I'm kinda hoping Beth will LITERALLY knit ME into an elf because I think I'd look a BUNCH better! LOL! What say you, Beth?) Seriously, you have completely taken a pattern & run with it! I've been looking (on Barnes & Noble's website) for her books, but they all appear to be used and EXTREMELY expensive. Where did you find yours, please? HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, BETH!
ReplyDeleteOh, this one is my absolute favorite!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your great words :-) For those of you who wish you could knit; I bought Fiona's first book a year ago, before I knew how to knit! Her book inspired me to learn. Once you have the basic knit, purl, increase and decrease, you can make one of her dolls. What better inducement to learn a new skill?
ReplyDeleteKai, so funny! Knit you into an elf :-) I purchased all three of Fiona's books at amazon, so you might want to give them a try.
Beth
another amazing elf! her eyes are so awesome. What kind of paint did you use? i've been looking at some paints at Micheal's but i'm not sure what will work. i love the colors that you used. What brand of yarn did you use? i love the colors in the body and the skirt matches so lovely. What color is her face? it's so hard to find the right skin tones. I can't wait to see more. :) ~Anne~
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, thank you so much for your good words :-)
ReplyDeleteI used Red Heart Rambling Rose as the varigated yarn for her body, and Red Heart Super Saver Aran for the flesh color. For her hair I used a Fun Fur by Lionbrand, which I had left over from another project that did not have the yarn band with it.
I just used acrylic paints from Michaels for the eyes, and after they were dry (at least 24 hours) I sealed them with satin varnish. This also gives the eyes a bit of glisten as well as sealing them. Metallic paints work very nicely for eyes; I use these to paint clear acrylic animal eyes, and they also worked great for these eyes painted on felt.
One thing that I found with the felt: apply two coats of white paint to the felt, and after it has dried thoroughly, lightly sand it to get the rough surface a bit smoother. Makes marking the eyes easier.
Hope this helps,
Beth
What a special and fantastic doll! The colors are great, and the eyes! Wow!
ReplyDeleteI love this elf, she is exquisite Beth, I'm so glad you learnt to knit (not that I thought you wouldn't do it with ease). Love her.
ReplyDeleteAnita, thank you :-)
ReplyDeleteFiona, good words from the designer are as precious as pearls; thank you!
Beth
Beth, what a lovely website! I'm intrigued by your dolls and the patterns you have shown here. I can't wait to retire (someday) and give it a go. I was a knitter once upon a time, taught by my maternal grandmother. This is just the sort of thing that would be terrific in my music studio! -- Paula (http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.com)
ReplyDeleteFantastic doll! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteGorgeous work! Love how they are photographed as well :-) The colors are so intense!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your good words, Paula, Nalan, and Dennis :-)
ReplyDeleteBeth
Hi Beth, thanks for all the great info. i checked out the Red Heart site and was amazed with all the wonderful colors of yarn they have. i love the Cherry Chip in Super saver.it's a worsted weight and i never thought of using that weight for the fairies but i do love the color selection. i must check out the yarn stores to see if they carry it.What size needle did you use? it recommends a 5mm but i heard that for a good close knit to go down a couple of sizes. i've made my fairie using Patons Astra which is a DK weight which recommends a 4mm and i used a 3mm.i think she might be on the smallish size. i've picked up some acrylic paints and hopefully will have a fairie done soon. thanks again and i look forward to seeing more of your wonderful creations! :) ~Anne~
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, I used a 3.25mm knitting needle with the Red Heart yarn. It makes for nice tight stitches, so there is less problem with the fiberfill showing through.
ReplyDeleteMy first doll I used a sportweight yarn as well, and it came out a bit small. I was happier with the heavier weight yarn.
Enjoy!
Beth
Hi Beth!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea of using the colored pencils for the eyes! I used my Lyra watercolor pencils for the eyes on the prairie flower doll that I just completed. I was happy with the results. You can see a photo of her on my blog.
My girls and I just love looking at all of your wonderful creations here!
Dear Ami; thank you for your good words. Your little Rose is gorgeous! And I'm glad the watercolor pencils worked well for you :-)
ReplyDeleteBeth
Beth...the faces are just beautiful. And thanks for the tip on wetting the prismacolor color pencils. I bought a set of them sometime last year and I had no idea they can be wet also.
ReplyDeleteYour doll faces are just hypnotizing to look at. Good work.
Carolyn
Oh Joyce, thank you so much! You are such a kindred spirit :-)
ReplyDeleteBeth